In the Scottish Premiership, Latvian national team defender Daniels Balodis scored his first-ever goal for St Johnstone F.C. as they surprisingly defeated the Scottish giants and league leaders Celtic FC, 1-0.
Balodis was once again in the starting lineup for the team managed by Simo Valakari. The 26-year-old made his seventh start in the Scottish Premiership and faced the historic Celtic side for the first time.
He was active right from the beginning of the match, attempting a header in the second minute that went just over the bar. In the fourth minute, a set-piece for St Johnstone resulted in a goal. Balodis made a great diagonal run and converted a header from an excellent cross by Graham Carey. The Latvian international celebrated his first goal for the club in this crucial match to avoid relegation.
Celtic were eager to turn the game around and put on a huge pressure, but the St Johnstone goalkeeper Fisher made some incredible saves to maintain the clean sheet, ultimately securing their first victory against Celtic since May 2016.
Daniels Balodis, who scored the game-winning goal, played the entire match as St Johnstone edged closer to the teams above them. They remain last in the league table but are now just five points behind Dundee FC. St Johnstone’s next match in the league will be on Saturday against Dundee United.